MIX 11

 

Last year around this time I wrote one of my most boring posts about watching a bunch of talks from the MIX 2010 conference.  This year, I took it up a notch and went to the conference in Las Vegas!  Let me tell you, it was sooo much better in person.

Mix is an annual conference hosted by Microsoft for developers and designer to discuss best practices and forthcoming technologies around web development on the Microsoft platform.  This includes web development (ASP.Net, MVC, JavaScript, and Internet Explorer), mobile development (WP7 and connecting to rival platforms), and cloud technologies (all things Azure).

Like I said, attending definitely was a more valuable experience than just watching the recorded session.  I actually got a set time to watch the majority of session I was interested in (there are still a handful I will go back and watch).  It was a great opportunity to talk with developers/designers from diverse backgrounds, solving unique problems.  And it was super nerdy.  Where else could you go to see an XtraNormal video (NSFW) on the pains of developing websockets as the spec gets revised, the latest episode of the HaHa Show (Scott HAnselman and Phil HAack), and a lounge chair controlled by a Kinect?  I definitely left feeling excited to get back to coding.

Links
MIX 2011: http://live.visitmix.com/